Higgins: Conn. school shooting not just about gun control

And the lawmaker says this issue isn't just about one single element.

"It's not all about gun control. There's issues of mental illness here. There's issues of the dissolution of the family," Higgins said. 

He spoke to reporters on Monday before boarding a flight back to Washington, D.C.

Higgins is mindful that President Obama has indicated the nation needs meaningful action on the topic, and Higgins would like to see a mature, thoughtful, multi-faceted response  response this time.

"And I think you're seeing the framework for a response that will, in fact, be meaningful, will be comprefensive," Higgins said.

When you're talking about assault rifles, there's no technology that advances more quickly in our society than the technology of killing, and these are domestic weapons of mass destruction, Higgins said.